Tire information obtaining device, tire condition monitoring system, and method for recovering puncture repair liquid

Abstract

A tire information obtaining device provided in a tire cavity region for obtaining tire information related to a condition of a tire includes: a sensor that detects the state of gas in the tire cavity region as the tire information; a valve; and a housing having an internal space for containing the sensor in a state of being compartmentalized from the tire cavity region, a ventilation hole for allowing communication between the internal space and the tire cavity region, and a communication hole connected to a cavity region side opening part of the valve at an end portion on the tire cavity region side and allowing communication between the cavity region side opening part and the tire cavity region.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A tire information device provided in a tire cavity region for obtaining tire information related to a condition of a tire, the tire information device comprising:
 a sensor that detects a condition of gas filling the tire cavity region as tire information; 
 a tire valve that ventilates the tire cavity region with the atmosphere outside of the tire; and 
 a housing that includes: 
 an internal space for containing the sensor in a state of being compartmentalized from the tire cavity region, 
 a ventilation hole that allows communication between the internal space and the tire cavity region, and 
 a communication hole that is connected with an opening part at an end portion on the tire cavity region side of the tire valve and that allows communication between the opening part of the tire valve and the tire cavity region, 
 the diameter of the communication hole and the inner diameter of the tire valve having a minimum value of not less than 2.5 mm, and 
 the ventilation hole being provided at a position outside a range of less than 140° of the angle of view from a center position corresponding to the position of an opening of the communication hole with respect to a central direction aligned with the direction of extension of the communication hole from the opening of the communication hole at the end portion on the tire cavity region side. 
 
     
     
       2. The tire information device according to  claim 1 , wherein the hole cross-sectional area of the communication hole is greater than the hole cross-sectional area of the valve in a portion in which the inner diameter of the tire valve is the smallest. 
     
     
       3. The tire information device according to  claim 1 , wherein a step protrudes from the inner wall surface of an inner wall of the valve so that the hole cross-sectional area of the tire valve increases from the opening part toward an external opening part at an end portion of the tire valve on the tire exterior portion side, and the height of the step is 1 mm or less. 
     
     
       4. The tire information device according to  claim 1 , wherein the direction of extension of the communication hole faces the outer side in the tire radial direction at the opening of the end portion of the communication hole on the tire cavity region side, and the angle formed by the directions of extension of the communication hole at the openings at both end portions of the communication hole is 25° or less. 
     
     
       5. The tire information device according to  claim 1 , wherein a detachable mechanism that allows the tire valve to be inserted into the communication hole and to be held in a removable manner, is provided in the housing. 
     
     
       6. A tire condition monitoring system comprising:
 a tire information device, the tire information device including: 
 a sensor that detects a condition of gas filling a tire cavity region as tire information; 
 a transmitter that wirelessly transmits the tire information detected by the sensor; 
 a tire valve that ventilates the tire cavity region with the atmosphere outside of the tire; and 
 a housing that includes: 
 an internal space for containing the sensor in a state of being compartmentalized from the tire cavity region, 
 a ventilation hole that allows communication between the internal space and the tire cavity region, and 
 a communication hole that is connected with an opening part at an end portion on the tire cavity region side of the valve and that allows communication between the opening part of the valve and the tire cavity region, 
 the diameter of the communication hole and the inner diameter of the valve having a minimum value of not less than 2.5 mm, and 
 the ventilation hole being provided at a position outside a range of less than 140° of the angle of view from a center position corresponding to the position of the opening of the communication hole with respect to a central direction aligned with the direction of extension of the communication hole from the opening of the communication hole at the end portion on the tire cavity region side; 
 a reception device, the reception device receiving the tire information transmitted by the transmitter of the tire information device; and 
 a monitoring part, the monitoring part determining the presence or absence of an abnormality of the tire on the basis of the tire information received by the reception device, and reporting the determination results. 
 
     
     
       7. A method for recovering puncture repair liquid from a tire in which a tire information device for obtaining tire information related to a condition of a tire is provided in a tire cavity region and in which puncture repair liquid is injected into the tire cavity region, the method comprising the steps of:
 removing a valve core of a tire valve of the tire information device, from the tire in which the tire information device is provided and in which puncture repair liquid is injected into the tire cavity region; and 
 inserting a tube through the tire valve of the tire information device to reach the puncture repair liquid in the tire cavity region when air in the tire cavity region is exhausted to the outside of the tire through the tire valve, the tire information device including: 
 a sensor that detects a condition of gas filling the tire cavity region as tire information; 
 a tire valve that ventilates the tire cavity region with the atmosphere outside of the tire; and 
 a housing that includes: 
 an internal space for containing the sensor in a state of being compartmentalized from the tire cavity region, 
 a ventilation hole that allows communication between the internal space and the tire cavity region, and 
 a communication hole that is connected with an opening part at an end portion on the tire cavity region side of the tire valve and that allows communication between the opening part of the tire valve and the tire cavity region, 
 the diameter of the communication hole and the inner diameter of the tire valve having a minimum value of not less than 2.5 mm, and 
 the ventilation hole being provided at a position outside a range of less than 140° of the angle of view from a center position corresponding to the position of the opening of the communication hole with respect to a central direction aligned with the direction of extension of the communication hole from the opening of the communication hole at the end portion on the tire cavity region side. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , wherein an opening area of an inside opening part of the ventilation hole is at least four times greater than an opening area of an outside opening part of the ventilation hole. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the communication hole is formed to extend in a direction in which the tire valve extends in the housing. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 6 , wherein a diameter of the communication hole and an inner diameter of the tire valve have a dimension of not less than 3.0 mm and not more than 5.0 mm. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the ventilation hole is provided at a position outside a range of less than 160° of the angle of view from a center position corresponding to the position of the opening of the communication hole with respect to a central direction aligned with the direction of extension of the communication hole from the opening of the communication hole at the end portion on the tire cavity region side. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the ventilation hole is provided at a position outside a range of less than 180° of the angle of view from a center position corresponding to the position of the opening of the communication hole with respect to a central direction aligned with the direction of extension of the communication hole from the opening of the communication hole at the end portion on the tire cavity region side. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 6 , wherein an angle formed by the communication hole between an inner opening part of the communication hole and a valve side opening part of the communication hole is not less than 0° and not more than 25°. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the hole cross-sectional area of the communication hole is greater than the hole cross-sectional area of the valve in a portion in which the inner diameter of the tire valve is the smallest. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 6 , wherein a step protrudes from the inner wall surface of an inner wall of the valve so that the hole cross-sectional area of the tire valve increases from the opening part toward an external opening part at an end portion of the tire valve on the tire exterior portion side, and the height of the step is 1 mm or less. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the direction of extension of the communication hole faces the outer side in the tire radial direction at the opening of the end portion of the communication hole on the tire cavity region side, and the angle formed by the directions of extension of the communication hole at the openings at both end portions of the communication hole is 25° or less. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 6 , wherein a detachable mechanism that allows the tire valve to be inserted into the communication hole and to be held in a removable manner, is provided in the housing. 
     
     
       18. The tire information device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tire valve extends in the tire width direction, and the communication hole bends so that the direction of extension of the communication hole at the opening of the end portion thereof on the tire cavity region side faces the outer side in the tire radial direction. 
     
     
       19. The tire information device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve has an inclined surface on an inner wall of the valve so that the hole cross-sectional area of the tire valve gradually increases from the opening part toward an external opening part at an end portion of the tire valve on the tire exterior portion side.